Tag: prizes

Here’s your latest digest of creative writing, literary prize, and visual art submission opportunities closing in the coming month (November through early December 2026). This update highlights freshly opened calls—including Overland‘s flagship annual prizes—alongside key deadlines closing over the next three to four weeks across Australia and international platforms.

Poetry & Prose Submissions

• Westerly Magazine is accepting short fiction, creative non-fiction, memoir, poetry, visual art, and comics for its upcoming print volumes.
• Ninth Heaven Literary Journal welcomes poetry, prose, and visual art exploring Creation & Festivity until 24 November 2026, reviewing submissions on a rolling basis.
• Joyland Magazine is reading short fiction across international regions through 30 November 2026, paying contributors for published short stories.
• Onkaparinga Writing & Poetry Competition (Writers SA) invites flash prose and poems up to 500 words responding to the theme of “Stronger Together” until 18 November 2026.
• Verge 2027 Anthology (Monash University Publishing) seeks unpublished short fiction, creative non-fiction, hybrid pieces (up to 2,500 words), or poetry (up to 35 lines) on “Ghosts” from Australian writers until 13 December 2026.
• Cordite Poetry Review continues to review poetry submissions and scholarly essays via its Submittable portal.

Literary Prizes & Competitions

Visual Art & Photography Calls

• Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize closes on 8 November 2026 for landscape paintings, offering a $20,000 AUD acquisitive award administered by the Queensland College of Art and Design.
• Red Ogre Review accepts visual art, digital illustrations, and photography submissions until 15 November 2026 for publication alongside poetry and essays in its December 2026 issue.
• Blue Mesa Review considers original artwork and photography series for cover and interior features through 30 November 2026.
• Material Works Art Award offers a $2,500 USD award and online exhibition for visual artists, painters, and photographers; closes upon reaching 300 entries or by 6 December 2026.
• BigCi Environmental Awards 2026 invites Australian and international visual artists, photographers, and multidisciplinary creators to apply for two fully funded four-week residencies in the Blue Mountains alongside a $5,000 AUD project stipend.
• Collie Art Prize 2027 accepts entries on the theme of “Identity” from Australian painters, sculptors, and photographers until 11 December 2026, competing for a $50,000 AUD acquisitive first prize.

Database links

To see the complete lists click on the buttons, above. Below are limited RSS feeds from my link database.

Poetry & Prose Submissions

• Meanjin (Edition 86.1 – Autumn 2027)
  • Window: Opens Friday, 23 October 2026 (midday AEST) and closes Friday, 27 November 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
  • Categories & Limits: Short fiction (up to 5,000 words), non-fiction essays and memoir (up to 5,000 words), and poetry (up to three poems).
  • Focus & Terms: Broad overarching theme of “Storytelling”. Contributions are paid standard industry contributor rates upon publication. Submissions are processed via Submittable. (Source)
• The Varnish Prize for Fiction 2026 (Varnish Literary Journal)
  • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Original fiction that discards traditional brevity limits to encourage longer, thematically complex narrative exploration.
  • Terms: Guest judged by 2025 winner Oscar Revelins alongside the editorial team; winner receives publication in Varnish. Submissions handled via email. (Source)
• Australian Poetry Collaboration Issue 41 (Meuse Press)
  • Closing Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
  • Scope: Seeking collaborative poems written jointly by two or more poets.
  • Format: Unrestricted themes; submission via editorial guidelines. (Source)
• Curtis Brown Australia — Open Submissions Month
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Scope: Literary agency open window accepting unsolicited manuscript proposals and query letters across literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, and YA without requiring agent referral. (Source)

Literary Prizes & Competitions

• National Poetry Competition 2026 (The Poetry Society)
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Single poems in English, maximum 40 lines. Open to writers aged 18+ worldwide.
  • Prizes & Terms: £5,000 first prize; £3,000 second prize; £2,000 third prize; plus seven £500 commendations.
  • Entry Fee: £9 for the first poem; £6 for each subsequent poem. (Source)
• The Bedford Competition 2026
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Short stories up to 3,000 words and poetry up to 40 lines on any theme. Open internationally (17+).
  • Prizes & Terms: £2,000 first prize in each section (£400 second, £200 third).
  • Entry Fee: £8.50 per entry, or three entries for £17. (Source)
• The Hope Prize 2026
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Original short fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words exploring hardship, poverty, or disadvantage through resilience, dignity, and hope.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$13,000 total prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third).
  • Entry Fee: Free. (Source)
• SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award 2026 (Australian Writers’ Centre)
  • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Crime fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words by Australian residents.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 cash prize.
  • Entry Fee: AU$35. (Source)
• Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026 (Ballarat Writers Inc.)
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Single poems up to 40 lines on the theme “Night”.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize, AU$400 second, AU$100 third.
  • Entry Fee: AU$35 standard (AU$25 for BWI members; AU$15 per extra poem). (Source)
• Onkaparinga Writing & Poetry Competition 2026 (Writers SA / City of Onkaparinga)
  • Closing Date: Wednesday, 18 November 2026 (5:00 PM ACDT)
  • Form & Scope: Flash fiction and poetry up to 500 words on the theme “Stronger Together”, exploring community, resilience, and intergenerational connections. Open to SA writers and those with ties to the region.
  • Categories & Awards: Flash Fiction (18+), Poetry (18+), and Youth (12–17). AU$100 prize per category winner. (Source)

Visual Art & Photography Calls

• The Elaine Bermingham National Watercolour Prize 2026 (Griffith University / QCAD Galleries)
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026 (11:59 PM AEST)
  • Medium & Focus: Watercolour explorations of landscape (broadly defined to include land, environment, seascape, rural, or urban habitat; representational or abstracted).
  • Prizes & Exhibition: AU$20,000 non-acquisitive major prize. Shortlisted works shown at QCAD Galleries, South Bank, Brisbane from 10 December 2026. Open to Australian artists 18+. (Source)
• Small Works Art Prize 2027 (Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy)
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
  • Mediums & Dimensions: All 2D and 3D media, including photography, printmaking, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Artwork must not exceed 35 × 35 × 35 cm (inclusive of framing).
  • Prizes & Exhibition: Over AU$15,000 in prizes (including two AU$2,000 solo exhibition packages). All eligible entered works will be exhibited in the gallery from 9–23 January 2027. Full entry guidelines are on the BSG Information Page. (Source)
• Summer Small Works Show & Prize 2026
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 22 November 2026
  • Mediums & Dimensions: Open to Australian artists 18+ working in drawing, photography, painting, printmaking, mixed media, or short silent moving-image. Artworks must be created in 2026 and measure no larger than A5 (14.8 × 21 cm, max depth 14.8 cm). Theme: “Emergence”.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 non-acquisitive major prize, eleven AU$100 non-acquisitive awards, and inclusion in the 2027 calendar. Exhibition runs 3–23 December 2026. (Source)

Here is a digest of active publishing opportunities, prizes, and open calls across creative writing and visual arts for the week of Saturday, 10 October 2026:

Literary Prizes & Competitions

• Australian Book Review – 2027 Peter Porter Poetry Prize
  • Closing Date: 14 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
  • Category: Poetry (single poem, maximum 60 lines, open theme)
  • Eligibility & Rules: Open to all poets writing in English worldwide. Poems must be original and previously unpublished.
  • Prizes & Entry Fee: AU$6,000 first prize; AU$1,000 for each of four shortlisted poets (AU$10,000 total pool). All shortlisted poems are published in *ABR*. Entry fee is AU$30 (AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). Details and listing also available via Writing NSW’s October Calendar.
• The 2026 Hope Prize
  • Closing Date: 31 October 2026, 11:59 PM AEDT
  • Category: Short fiction or creative non-fiction/memoir
  • Eligibility & Rules: Open to writers aged 18+ internationally. Submissions must explore themes of hope, courage, or resilience; maximum 5,000 words (no minimum); double-spaced. Submit via The Hope Prize Submission Portal.
  • Prizes: AU$13,000 total prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize supported by Simon & Schuster Australia and Readings Books; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third). Winning and highly commended stories will be published in a Simon & Schuster anthology.
• SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award
  • Closing Date: 30 October 2026
  • Category: Crime fiction / Mystery short story
  • Eligibility & Rules: Stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words incorporating classic elements of suspense, mystery, investigation, or crime. Presented in association with the Australian Crime Writers Association.
  • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize; entry fee $35.
• Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026
  • Closing Date: 31 October 2026
  • Category: Poetry (open theme, maximum 40 lines)
  • Eligibility & Rules: Administered by Ballarat Writers; judged by Australian author and poet Melissa Ashley.
  • Prizes & Entry Fee: $1,000 first prize, with additional regional writer awards. Entry fee applies via TryBooking.
• Geelong Writers Ekphrastic Challenge #10
  • Closing Date: 25 October 2026
  • Category: Flash fiction, short prose, or poetry (maximum 300 words)
  • Eligibility & Rules: Open to members and non-members responding to the designated October artwork prompt.

Poetry & Prose Submissions (Journals, Agencies & Presses)

• Curtis Brown Australia – Open Manuscript Submissions
  • Reading Window: 1 October – 31 October 2026
  • Category: Commercial & literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and YA/children’s manuscripts
  • Eligibility & Rules: Open to unagented writers who are residents of Australia and New Zealand. Requires a one-page synopsis, author bio, and sample chapters (first 50 pages) submitted via their online agency portal.
• Overland Literary Journal – Submissions
  • Status: Open for general submissions
  • Category: Short fiction (up to 3,000 words), poetry (up to 3 poems per submission), and creative essays
  • Guidelines & Payment: Actively seeking progressive and experimental writing. Accepted print and online contributors receive standard industry rates (AUD $150–$500+ depending on genre and format).
• The Freelance Writing Network Lit Mag Roster – October Open Windows
  • Status: Windows closing late October / early November 2026
  • Featured Publications:
    • The Iowa Review: General submission window open through October for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.
    • The Massachusetts Review: General reading period open for essays, stories, and poetry.
    • Foglifter Journal: Submissions open for upcoming print issues focusing on hybrid forms, non-fiction, and poetry.
• Phosphorescent Lit – Issue 3: “Fever”
  • Closing Date: 16 November 2026 (04:59 UTC)
  • Category: Poetry (up to 3 poems) and short prose (fiction/creative non-fiction up to 2,500 words)
  • Theme: “Fever” — exploring heat, delirium, obsession, intensity, and illness. Fee-free general submission route.

Visual Art & Photography Calls

Here is your weekly digest of active publishing opportunities, literary prizes, and visual art open calls, cross-referenced against your tracked bookmarks and regional directory listings:

1. Literary Prizes & Competitions

• Peter Porter Poetry Prize 2027 (Australian Book Review)
  • Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
  • Form & Scope: Single poems in English, maximum 70 lines. Open internationally to poets of any citizenship.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$10,000 total prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; four shortlisted poets receive AU$1,000 each and publication in ABR).
  • Entry Fee: AU$30 (or AU$20 for current ABR subscribers). (Source)
• The Hope Prize 2026
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Prose short stories between 2,000 and 5,000 words exploring the experience of people facing hardship, poverty, or marginalisation with resilience, dignity, and hope. Open globally (18+).
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$13,000 prize pool (AU$10,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second prize; AU$1,000 third prize).
  • Entry Fee: Free to enter. (Source)
• SD Harvey Short Crime Story Award 2026 (Australian Writers’ Centre)
  • Closing Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Original, unpublished crime fiction between 2,000 and 5,000 words. Open to writers residing in Australia.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize. Judged on narrative tension, plotting, and characterisation.
  • Entry Fee: AU$35. (Source)
• Martha Richardson Memorial Poetry Prize 2026 (Ballarat Writers Inc.)
  • Closing Date: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Form & Scope: Poems up to 40 lines. Theme: “Night”.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$1,000 first prize, AU$400 second prize, AU$100 third prize.
  • Entry Fee: AU$35 per poem (AU$25 for BWI members; AU$15 for subsequent poems). (Source)
• Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2026 (Overland)
  • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026 (Midnight AEDT)
  • Form & Scope: Short fiction up to 3,000 words loosely themed around the concept of “travel”.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$5,000 first prize and publication in *Overland*; two runner-up prizes of AU$750 each.
  • Entry Fee: AU$20 general entry / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
• Judith Wright Poetry Prize for New and Emerging Poets 2026 (Overland)
  • Closing Date: Friday, 4 December 2026
  • Form & Scope: Original poetry up to 80 lines by writers who have not yet published a full-length commercial poetry collection.
  • Prizes & Terms: AU$9,000 prize pool (AU$6,000 first prize; AU$2,000 second; AU$1,000 third) plus publication.
  • Entry Fee: AU$20 non-subscribers / AU$12 subscribers. (Source)
• Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize 2027
  • Closing Date: Friday, 12 December 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
  • Form & Scope: Full unpublished fiction or narrative non-fiction manuscripts up to 80,000 words.
  • Prizes & Terms: Traditional trade publishing contract with Hawkeye Books plus an author coaching and structural/line editing package valued at AU$3,500. Two categories awarded: Open and Own Voices.
  • Entry Fee: AU$45 standard / AU$99 with comprehensive written assessment. (Source)

2. Poetry & Prose Submissions

• Meanjin (Edition 86.1 – Autumn 2027)
  • Submission Window: Opens Friday, 23 October 2026 (Midday AEST) — Closes Friday, 27 November 2026 (6:00 PM AEST)
  • Categories: Poetry (up to 3 poems), Short Fiction (up to 5,000 words), and Non-Fiction/Essays (up to 5,000 words).
  • Theme & Guidelines: Broad overarching theme of “Storytelling”. All accepted contributions are paid upon publication. Portals open on Submittable. (Source)
• Curtis Brown Australia — Open Submissions Month
  • Window Closes: Saturday, 31 October 2026
  • Scope: Literary agency accepting unsolicited queries and manuscript proposals across literary fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, and young adult writing without prior referral. (Source)
• Australian Poetry Collaboration Issue 41 (Meuse Press)
  • Closing Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
  • Scope: Seeking collaborative poetic works written jointly by two or more poets.
  • Submission: Electronic submission via editorial guidelines. (Source)
• Overland (General Submissions)
  • Status: Open / Ongoing on Submittable
  • Scope: Essays, critical reviews, fiction, cultural commentary, and political writing.
  • Contributor Rates: Standard industry rates apply (AU$150–AU$500 depending on length and print vs. online placement). (Source)
• One Sentence Poems & Eunoia Review
  • Status: Open / Year-round rolling submissions
  • Scope: Single-sentence poetry (One Sentence Poems) and short fiction/poetry/creative non-fiction with rapid turnaround (Eunoia Review). Both accessible directly via your Raindrop writing collection.

3. Visual Art, Photography & Illustration Calls

• Aesthetica Art Prize 2026/2027
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Late entries accepted through 18 October 2026)
  • Mediums: Photography, digital media, drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, and video art.
  • Prizes & Terms: £10,000 Main Art Prize, £1,000 Emerging Art Prize, group exhibition in York, and publication in the Future Now: 100 Contemporary Artists anthology.
  • Entry Fee: Registration via site checkout. (Source)
• Small Works Art Prize 2027 (Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy)
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026 (Midnight)
  • Mediums & Specs: Open to all 2D and 3D media (including photography, drawings, printmaking, painting, and small sculpture). Artwork must not exceed 35 × 35 × 35 cm.
  • Prizes & Exhibition: Over AU$15,000 in prizes, including two AU$2,000 solo exhibition packages and category awards. All eligible entries will be hung in the exhibition from 9–23 January 2027.
  • Entry Details: Detailed entry and hanging requirements available on the BSG Information Page. (Source)
• Red Art Prize 2027 (Red Gallery, Fitzroy North)
  • Closing Date: Sunday, 20 December 2026 (or until gallery exhibition capacity is reached)
  • Mediums: Open-call exhibition launching the 2027 season for 2D and 3D contemporary visual art, drawing, print, and photography.
  • Entry Fee: From AU$60. (Source)
• Collect Art — Open Call for Photography & Fine Art
  • Closing Date: Thursday, 15 October 2026
  • Scope: Curated international feature issue for street photography, documentary photography, and contemporary drawings/paintings.
  • Format: Up to 12 high-resolution images, brief artist statement, and bio. (Source)